Switches and IPv6

[vu pham]

Michael Hipp wrote:
> David A. Bandel wrote:
>> Folks,
>>
>> Just bought and installed a new D-Link POE switch and guess what -- as
>> far as I'm concerned it's obsolete.  Bloody POS won't pass IPv6 (i.e.,
>> won't pass IP).  I'm amazed.  And D-Link confirms their brand new
>> switch won't pass IP, and they don't plan to fix it.
>>
>> I have garbage consumer-grade dumb switches that all pass IPv6.
>> Anyone have a recommendation for a managed POE switch that will pass
>> IPv6?  The only ones I've found that mention IPv6 start at $3k.  I
>> need 24-48 ports.
> 
> Maybe I'm all wrong, but why would a *switch* even know or care about 
> IP? It's supposed to worry only about *Ethernet* frames, not higher 
> level protocols. If it's working at the IP level, then it's not a 
> switch, it's a router.
> 
> Sounds to me like D-Link's "engineers" need a refresher course on 
> protocol stacks and the OSI model.
> 
> I use D-Link stuff all the time and recommend it, but I'd have to sell 
> two of my kids to afford a 48 port POE switch so I have no experience 
> with such upper crust hardware. :-)

They are Layer-3 switches, if I understand correctly. They do work at 
level 3 of the OSI as the routers but, again, if I understand correctly, 
routers now are more on the edge of the network and the layer-3 switches 
are at the core ( the LAN part ). The routers will handle serial 
connection besides ethernet connections, and layer-3 switch won't handle 
serial connections. Also the routers will use more software for 
routing, and layer-3 switch use more hardware for routing.

Vu